Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
Thank you for your article Education + Experience = Excellence in the fall 2007 issue. It is really great to hear about ways that students and faculty collaborate outside of the classroom. As a student, I had the opportunity to be an intern for different area businesses and I recognize the importance of learning outside of the classroom, especially as you try to set yourself apart from other students in your major when looking for a job. It is really great to see the University make student/faculty collaborations as one of its components of the pride. purpose. promise. campaign. and I look forward to hearing more about this effort.
Letter to the Editor:
If professionals had all the time in the world and gas cost less than a dollar a gallon, the need for the new MBA facility in Green Bay would not exist. But we live in the real world. Gas prices are constantly increasing, and free time for professionals disappeared with cell phones and e-mails.
These were the obstacles I faced four years ago as I pondered the next step in my education, since I wanted an accredited program close to home. As a De Pere resident, my decision to enter the MBA program through UW Oshkosh was finalized when I learned classes were offered at North Western Technical College in Green Bay. Although the courses based at NWTC were convenient, they allowed me to fully appreciate the new MBA facility in the Regency Suites complex.
UW Oshkosh made a wise investment in this permanent downtown Green Bay facility. The site has a great floor plan and cutting-edge technology. Students are able to socialize with classmates in the gathering area before classes. Whether the conversations are about work or families, MBA students network with other professionals to build relationships that last beyond a 14-week course. Once in the classroom, the equipment available allows students to give presentations in a business environment. Practice honing these skills is just another benefit of the new facilities.
These touches make the Green Bay facility a great asset for the MBA program. Because of the convenient location, this facility opens the door for many professionals in the Green Bay area to continue their education, even with their hectic lives. With this new MBA facility, Lambeau Field is not the only place in Green Bay developing community leaders!
Editor,
Thank you for highlighting the Living Healthy Community Clinic in the UW Oshkosh Magazine. It is a win-win program for the uninsured, nursing students, local healthcare providers and the community as a whole. All of the citizens of Winnebago County can be proud of the vital services the LHCC provides so efficiently. It shows what can be accomplished through collaboration.
Mercy Health Foundation, the development arm of Mercy Medical Center, and Affinity Health System are both strong supporters of the LHCC, because we recognize the impact it has on the health of the uninsured. Lack of access to and continuity in care are some of the most frequently cited problems for the uninsured. The LHCC fills that gap, especially for individuals with chronic illnesses that are likely to have a health crisis without the regular case management and medication that the LHCC provides.
Affinity Health System and Mercy Medical Center work with the UW Oshkosh College of Nursing in a number of ways that are beneficial to each institution as well as the community. Affinity Health System recently partnered with UW Oshkosh to develop a Clinical Nurse Leader masters program. This program academically prepares nurses at the graduate level to be clinical patient care leaders. The concept for this new nursing role was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to engage highly skilled clinicians in outcomes-based practice and quality improvement.
To ensure that the CNL program would be developed locally and to promote to nurses within the organization, Affinity sponsored a full-time master’s prepared nurse position to teach CNL coursework at the university as well as function as a CNL Leader in the health system.
There are multiple specialties in which these graduates can function. One prime example Affinity is developing is a diabetic program leader position to ensure evidence-based diabetic care is applied in all care settings, that diabetic education is consistent and written for the average patient to be able to read, and that staff education is consistent and evidenced-based. This CNL will also be available to consult or advise other nurses on complex diabetic cases.
Affinity values the contribution of master’s degreed nurses to enhance patient care processes and patient experiences in the acute care setting. Like the LHCC, this relationship with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a winning partnership for all and especially the Oshkosh area and Fox Valley region communities.